These are the trading backtesting FAQs we hear most often from traders who are just getting started: what backtesting is, whether it's legal, how to pick a platform and what Trade & Repeat offers.
If you still have questions after reading this, the best way to answer them is to try it yourself.
See plansAbout backtesting
- What is backtesting in trading?
- Backtesting means applying a strategy's rules to historical price data to see how it would have performed, before you trade it with real money. We cover it in depth in our complete guide to trading backtesting.
- Is backtesting legal?
- Yes. Backtesting is an educational and analytical practice, not a regulated activity: it involves no real money and no orders sent to a live market. What is regulated is trading real capital through a broker. For that, always check official sources, such as the financial regulator in your country.
- How long does backtesting take to give useful results?
- It depends on how many trades you log, not on how many days go by. With at least 30 to 50 trades, you have a reasonable sample to judge your strategy with some statistical confidence.
- Does backtesting replace a demo account?
- No. They're separate steps that work together. Backtesting tests your strategy on historical data. A demo account tests your execution in real time, with no capital at risk, once backtesting has given you confidence in your rules.
- Do I need to know how to code to backtest?
- Not if you backtest manually, which means stepping through the chart candle by candle and logging your trades yourself. You only need to code if you want to automate it. We compare both approaches in manual vs. automated backtesting.
About backtesting platforms
- What's the best backtesting platform?
- It depends on what you need: which markets it covers, its price, and whether you want manual or automated backtesting. We compare the best-known options in the best free backtesting platform.
- Are there free backtesting platforms?
- Yes, although most well-known platforms offer a free tier with limited history or features, and paid plans to unlock everything else. Trade & Repeat follows the same model: a 7-day free trial (card required) on the Monthly plan at $20/month, plus an Annual plan at $240/year.
- Can I backtest directly on TradingView?
- Yes, with its Bar Replay feature, but it has no built-in trading journal or trade statistics, so you'd have to keep that record separately. We compare them in detail in Trade & Repeat vs. TradingView Bar Replay.
About Trade & Repeat
- Does Trade & Repeat have a free plan?
- There's no free-forever plan, but there is a 7-day free trial so you can try the full tool before you decide. After that, it's $20/month on the Monthly plan or $240/year on the Annual plan, with the same features on both. It's built for traders who are still climbing the learning curve, without the price tag of professional trading software.
- Which markets can I practice on Trade & Repeat?
- 11 forex pairs and three CFDs (gold, NAS100 and the S&P 500), on timeframes from M1 (one-minute candles) to D1 (daily candles). The full list is in our complete guide to trading backtesting.
- Is Trade & Repeat available in English?
- Yes. The app and the website are available in both English and Spanish. The product was originally designed and written in Spanish, so that traders could practice without a language barrier getting in the way. The full story is in why backtesting in your native language matters.
- Who is Trade & Repeat for?
- Beginner and intermediate traders who are still building their skills, and experienced traders who want to refine a strategy with a straightforward tool.
- Does Trade & Repeat have a community or support?
- Yes. Besides the platform itself, we offer support through our Telegram community, where you can ask questions and share your progress with other traders. Conversations there are mostly in Spanish.
About results and expectations
- How soon will I see results from backtesting?
- There's no set timeline, and no one can honestly promise you one. Backtesting is practice that builds up over time, not an overnight change. What you can measure is your sample: how many trades you've logged and what their statistics show. There's no shortcut that replaces repetition.
- What does it mean for a strategy to have 'positive expectancy'?
- It means that, on average, your trades made more than they lost across your sample, once you combine your win rate (the share of trades that win) and your risk/reward ratio (how much you aim to make for every dollar you risk). It's the bare minimum for a strategy to be worth considering, not a guarantee that it will be profitable. We walk through it with real numbers in how to read your backtesting statistics.
- Does a good backtest guarantee I'll be profitable live?
- No. It lowers the risk of trading an untested strategy, but it doesn't remove live-market factors such as slippage (getting filled at a worse price than you expected) or the psychological pressure of trading real money. It's a way to prepare, not a guarantee.
- What should I do if my backtest shows negative results?
- Treat it as useful information, not a failure: it's far better to find out on historical data than by losing real capital. Change one variable at a time and run the sample again before you decide whether the strategy is viable or should be dropped.
Now you have the full picture. The next step is to put it into practice.
See plansKeep reading: Trading backtesting: the complete guide to getting started · The best free backtesting platform: an honest comparison · Backtesting in your native language: why clarity makes you a better trader
Educational content only; it is not financial advice. Trading financial markets involves the risk of losing capital.